Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a magnifying lens system and method for magnifying an object. In particular, this invention directs itself to a magnifying system using a recursive image nesting method where additional lens groupings are added to a basic lens set to increase magnification while minimizing optical distortions of previous lens groupings. Still further, this invention relates to a magnifying system including a plurality of in-line lenses for magnifying an object positionally located on one side of a first lens of the overall magnifying system. More in particular, this invention directs itself to a magnifying system for magnifying an object which includes at least first and second lenses lying on a common central lens axis line with an object being displaced from the first lens surface by a first lens object distance, with the first lens having a first focal length greater than the first lens object distance for forming a first lens virtual image and the second lens having a second lens focal length greater than the focal length of the first lens for forming a second lens virtual image having a greater magnitude than the first lens virtual image formed. Still further, this invention relates to a method of magnifying an object where there is provided a plurality of axially coincident and consecutively displaced lenses for magnifying an object where the magnification of the virtual image produced by the nth lens element is dictated and derived from previous optical lens parameters and is dependent upon the optical parameters of the (n-1)th lens element. Additionally, this invention directs itself to a magnification system which may be housed in a translucent housing for magnifying an object which provides for stabilization of focus and optimizes ambient light illumination for producing magnified and bright images. More in particular, this invention relates to a magnification system including a first optical lens section having at least a first lens element and a magnifying section having a second lens element positionally displaced from the first optical lens section with the magnifying section having a bottom surface adjacent an object to be magnified and including a diffusing wall section having at least one wall surface for being reflective to impinging light rays originating from one side of the diffusing surface and refractive to impinging light rays originating from an opposing side of the diffusing surface for optimizing the ambient light in magnification of the object. Still further, this invention relates to an integral lighting system containing a light source for illuminating an object to be magnified while minimizing loss of contrast through the phenomenon of light scattering.